SNAP is upgrading the software, which powers its augmented reality glasses Next year’s “spec”. The latest updates to SNAP OS include an improved web browser, as well as the ability to browse spotlight videos in AR.
The company has long said For Ar glasses, it can make people spend less time staring at their phones. Snap hasn’t done the job yet, but Snap OS is starting to get more features that can help companies get there.
The company has redesigned the browser in Snap OS to make it easier to switch between sites and resize windows. It is also faster, more efficient, and is able to watch about 40 minutes of continuous video playback. (The current version of glasses has the highest battery life of about 45 minutes.) Speaking of video, Spectacles also gets dedicated lenses for Snapchat’s Short-Form Video Platform browsing Spotlight. There is also a new gallery lens that allows you to preview photos taken with your glasses’ on-board camera and quickly scroll them with gestures.
The company first showed off its somewhat silly looking AR glasses a year after the update arrived. Since then, hundreds of developers have been trying the device and creating their own AR lenses for the platform. But so far, the influence of these experiences is very limited, as the company only enables willing developers to use AR glasses. That will change sometime in 2026, though, when Snap said it will start selling a pair of smaller, lighter, and more capable glasses.
The company has not disclosed details about the redesigned form or “spec”. But the new version of Snap OS shows that the company is trying to make its AR platform more useful.
Jim Lanzone, CEO of Engadget’s parent company Yahoo, joined the board of directors on September 12, 2024 at SNAP.
